Agitator and washing agent dispenser



1967 N. J. BULLOCK 3,30

AGITATOR AND WASHING AGENT DISPENSER Filed Sept. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 so i I I /s2 i P i I E v n INVENTOR. F ,1 g. 4 NormanJBul/ock His Afforney Feb. 28, 1967 BULLOCK 3,306,084

AGITATOR AND WASHING AGENT DISPENSER Filed Sept. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Norman J. Bu/Iac/r His A Horney 3,306,084 AGITATOR AND WASHING AGENT DISPENSER Norman J. Bullock, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,632 7 Claims. (Cl. 68-17) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to an improved agitator and washing agent dispenser of the type taught in my Patent 3,132,500, issued May 12, 1964.

Washing in accordance with the aforementioned patent utilizes, in one of its aspects, jets or spurts of washing fluid directed along the upper surface of the washing fluid to chase lint out of the clothes washing tub. To effectively chase lint, it is necessary for the trajectory of the jets to be low enough to skim rather completely the top surface of the water in the tub. Accordingly, this invention is directed to an agitator having an improved jet forming surge relief port.

Along with the improved agitator, the removable cup for shakeably dispensing bleach has also been improved. In accordance with this invention, a funnel has been positioned within the bleach cup to prevent bleach or other Washing agent from spilling from the side ports of the cup while the cup is being filled. Inadvertent bleach stains are thus prevented.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an insert for a vertically reciprocable, open top bleach dispensing cup which will divert bleach from the side ports thereof while the cup is being filled through its open top.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sideported bleach cup with a fill funnel having depending tangs for measuring the amount of bleach placed in the cup.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic sectional view, partly in elevation, of a clothes washer provided with the improved combination clothes agitator and dispenser of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the improved agitator;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the improved surge relief port in the agitator taken in the direction of arrow 3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view in elevation of a washing agent dispenser cup adapted for use with the improved agitator; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the fill funnel portion of the improved dispenser cup.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURE 1, a clothes washer 20 is comprised of a control housing portion 22 and an outer cabinet or casing 24. The casing 24 is generally divided into a mechanism portion or compartment 26 and a Washing portion or water container chamber 28. A generally centrally located bulkhead 30 separates the mechanism compartment 26 from the water container chamber 28 which is further bounded by a cylindrical water container wall 32. Within the water container 32 is a spin tub 34 having a top opening 36 and a plurality of centrifuging outflow ports 38. The ports 38 are designed to permit the egress of water from the tub 34 when the tub is rotated at high speed. For filling the tub 34 with water, a conventional water supply system may be provided with a hot water solenoid actuated valve 40 and a cold water solenoid actuated valve 42, both of which are manifolded into a mixed water supply conduit 44 terminating at a chute 46 overlying the opening of the tub 34. Within the tub 34, an agitator or pulsator 48 is adapted to reciprocate for producing toroidal circulation of water in the tub and for agitating clothes therein. Thus, clothing placed within the tub 34 is washed as the agitating action of the agitator 48 forces surging currents or jets of washing fluid and detergent through the fabric. Conventional sequentially operating timer means, shown generally at 50 on the control housing 22, may be included to selectively admit water through the supply conduit 44, to spin the tub 34 and to vertically reciprocate the agitator 48.

A prime moving system, shown generally at 52, in the mechanism compartment 26 is adapted to selectively rotate the tub 34 and reciprocate the agitator 48. One agitating and spinning mechanism suitable for use with this invention is shown in the patent to Brucken 3,087,- 321, issued April 30, 1963, and may be designed for agitate speeds of 330 and 220 1.75-inch strokes per minute with spin speeds of 1010, 675, 450 and 300 revolutions per minute as taught in copending application Serial No. 375,158, filed June 15, 1964, and having the same assignee as this application. In addition to selectively operating the spin tub and the agitator, the agitating and spinning mechanism 52 includes a pump for draining the water container 32 through the drain conduit 54.

The no-tangle, low sudsing, agitator 48 of this invention is shown assembled in FIGURE 2 and includes generally a bell-shaped pump ring 70, and an elongated generally frusto-conical lower clothes actuator ring 72 forming with said pump ring an annular downwardly opening lower surge pressure chamber 73. A circulator column 74 includes a generally cylindrical hollow housing portion 75 and an elongated generally frusto-conical upper clothes actuator ring portion 76 spaced from said lower clothes actuator ring 72 to form an upper surge pressure relief chamber 77. To minimize interaction and resultant Wear between the top of the ring 72 and the annular shoulder 71 of the circulator column 74, a 0.020 neoprene annular resilient washer 79 is interposed. The hollow housing portion 75 is rather cup-shaped having a bottom wall 78 and an open top 80. For partially closing this open top 80, an agitator cap 82 is designed to twistingly snap fasten to the circulator column 74.

The clothes actuator ring portion 76 of the agitator is provided with four surge relief ports 84 at quadrant points around the agitator. As taught in my earlier patent, the jets of water formed by these ports are used to chase lint radially outwardly toward the tub outflow ports 38. The effectiveness of such lint chasing depends on the completeness with which the jets cover and skim the surface of the water in the tub. It has now been found that better coverage with less splashing and noise results when the ports are formed with a width R of 1%, inches and a height S of inch (FIGURE 3), the bottom of the ports dropping below the recessed channel 86.

A bleach dispensing cup is designed to fit into the hollow housing 75 of the circulator column. The cup 90 is comprised of a lower retainer cup portion 92 having a re-entry portion 94 and an open top upper cup portion 96. Radially directed ribs 98, extending from the cup, space the sides thereof from the circulator column housing portion 75 when placed therein. A plurality of bleach outflow ports are positioned in the sidewall of the cup between the top and bottom thereof behind a flange or skirt portion 102 depending slantingly outwardly from the upper portion 96 of the cup. A coil spring 104 in the re-entry portion of the cup is adapted to engage the mounting nut 106 of the agitator as a yieldable means for holding the cup 90 snugly in the hollow of the circulator column. When the cap 82 is snap-fastened onto the circulator column, the bleach cup 90, sealingly engaged along its open top by the inside of the cap, is forced downwardly against the yielding bias of the spring.

Filling my prior art bleach cup presented a problem. Some of the bleach being poured into the open top of the cup would run down the sides thereof and escape the cup through the ports 100. Especially would this be true Where the cup is tilted during the filling thereof. In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIG- URES 4 and 5 the cup 90 is provided with a bleach cup funnel portion 108. The funnel includes an upper portion 110 having the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the upper cup portion 96 to effect a snugly nested connection between the cup and funnel. Moreover, the upper portion of the funnel is tapered at 112 to further prevent any bleach from running between the respective wall portions 96 and 110 of the cup and funnel. More particularly the funnel is formed with a shoulder 115 which rests on a ledge 117 (FIGURE 2) to limit the inward press fit of the funnel in the cup. A tapered funnel portion 114 extends downwardly beyond the side ports 100 of the cup to insure that washing agents such as bleach will have bypassed the cup ports before it enters the bottom of the cup. The funnel may also include depending tangs 116 as a depth gage for the washing agent. For instance, the top of the tang sighted through the top of the cup, could indicate cup of Washing agent While the bottom of the tang could serve as the /2 cup measure.

In operation and prior to starting a washing cycle, the cap 82 is removed along with the bleach cup 90 and detergent is placed on the bottom 78 of the circulator column housing portion 75. Then, bleach is placed in the cup 90 and the cup returned to the hollow of the circulator column. When the cap 82 is locked in position on the circulator column, the bleach cup 90 will be pressed into spring-biased tightly held relationship with the circulator column.

The agitator 48 is now conditioned for a washing cycle including an initial period of controlled dispensing. When the agitator is reciprocated in a tub 34 containing washing fluid, the pump ring 70 will create a toroidal circulation of washing fluid. Surging currents of wash water will slosh in and out of the housing portion of the circulator column through surge relief ports or passageways 120 therein and the detergent will be dissolved by the water and returned therewith to the tub to form a washing fluid. At the same time, the shaking action of the bleach cup 90 will cause an interchange of Washing fluid and bleach in the annular passageway between the cup and agitator housing and, thus, diluted bleach will be dispensed through the passageways 120 into the washing fluid. Note that the skirt 102 on the bleach cup will prevent undiluted bleach from being discharged from the top of the agitator, and that the conical wall of the funnel 114 will deflect the tumultuous bleach toward the outflow ports 100 for an improved shaking interchange with the washing fluid.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A clothes Washer agitator for use in a wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing and an upper clothes actuator ring,

(0) means forming a lower clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring,

((1) means including a resilient washer at the jointure of said lower clothes actuator ring and said means forming a circulator column for retaining said pump ring, said lower clothes actuator ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said lower clothes actuator ring and a lower surge relief chamber between said lower clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(e) said housing including a lower surge relief port between said pump ring and said lower clothes actuator ring for venting said lower surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said housing,

(f) said upper clothes actuator ring having an upper surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atmosphere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below the fluid surface in said tub whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to skim lint from said fluid surface,

(g) a bleach cup in the hollow of said housing having an open top and a bleach dispensing opening in the side thereof for placing the inside of said bleach cup in communication with the hollow of said hous- (h) means for spacing said bleach cup from said housing to form a first vent passageway connecting the lower surge relief chamber to the open top of said housing by way of the said lower surge relief port in said housing,

(i) funnel means nested in said bleach cup and extending from a level above said bleach dispensing opening to a level below said bleach dispensing opening whereby to prevent spillage of bleach through said bleach dispensing opening during filling of said cup and to deflect bleach toward said bleach dispensing opening during vertical reciprocation of said cup,

(j) and an agitator cap selectively retained on said housing for retaining said bleach cup therein.

2. A clothes washer agitator for use in a wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing and an upper clothes actuator ring,

(c) means forming a lower clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring,

(d) means including a resilient Washer at the jointure of said lower clothes actuator ring and said means forming a circulator column for retaining said pump ring, said lower clothes actuator ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said lower clothes actuator ring and a lower surge relief chamber between said lower clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(c) said housing including a lower surge relief port between said pump ring and said lower clothes actuator ring for venting said lower surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said housing,

(f) said upper clothes actuator ring having a substantially rectangular upper surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atm'os phere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below the fluid surface in said tub whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to skim lint from said fluid surface, said upper surge relief port having a width dimension less than twice its height dimension,

(g) a bleach cup in the hollow of said housing having an open top and a bleach dispensing opening in the side thereof for placing the inside of said bleach cup in communication with the hollow of said housing,

(h) means for spacing said bleach cup from said housing to form a first vent passageway connecting the lower surge relief chamber to the open top of said housing by way of the said lower surge relief port in said housing,

(i) funnel means nested in said bleach cup and extending from a level above said bleach dispensing opening to a level below said bleach dispensing opening whereby to prevent spillage of bleach through said bleach dispensing opening during filling of said cup and to deflect bleach toward said bleach dispensing opening during vertical reciprocation of said cup,

(j) and an agitator cap selectively retained on said housing for retaining said bleach cup therein.

3. A clothes washer agitator for use in a wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing,

(c) means forming a clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring,

(d) means for retaining said pump ring and said clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form a surge relief chamber between said clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(e) said housing including a surge relief port between said pump ring and said clothes actuator ring for venting said surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said housing,

(f) a cup in the hollow of said housing for dispensing bleach or the like and having an open top and a dispensing opening in the side thereof for placing the inside of said cup in communication with the hollow of said housing,

(g) means for spacing said cup from said housing to form a vent passageway connecting the surge relief chamber to the open top of said housing by way of the said surge relief port in said housing,

(h) funnel means nested in said cup and extending from a level above said dispensing opening to a level below said dispensing opening whereby to prevent spillage through said dispensing opening during filling of said cup with bleach or the like and to deflect said bleach or the like toward said dispensing opening during vertical reciprocation of said cup,

(i) and means including an atmospheric vent in communication with said vent passageway for retaining said cup in said housing.

4. A clothes washer agitator for use in a wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing,

(0) means forming a clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring,

(d) means for retaining said pump ring and said clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form a surge relief chamber between.

said clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(e) said housing including a surge relief port between said pump ring and said clothes actuator ring for facilitating the interchange of fluid between said surge relief chamber and the hollow of said housing,

(f) a cup retainable in the hollow of said housing for dispensing bleach or the like and having an open top and a dispensing opening in the side thereof for placing the inside of said cup in communication with the hollow of said housing,

(g) means for spacing said cup from said housing to form a passageway in communication with the surge relief chamber by way of the said surge relief port in said housing,

(h) and funnel means nested in said cup and extending from a level above said dispensing opening to a level below said dispensing opening whereby to prevent spillage through said dispensing opening during filling of said cup with bleach or the like and to deflect said bleach or the like toward said dispensing opening during vertical reciprocation of said cup.

5. For use in a vertically reciprocable device, a dis pensing cup for bleach or the like comprising means forming a cup having imperforate top and bottom portions and a dispensing port in an intermediate portion thereof, said cup forming means having an integral skirt portion extending downwardly from said top portion outboard of said port for diverting bleach dispensed through said port toward said bottom portion, and funnel means having an upper portion nested in said top portion of said cup and an imperforate conical portion extending downwardly into said cup from a level above said port to a level below said port for diverting bleach from said port during the filling of said cup.

6. For use in a vertically reciprocable agitator, a bleach dispensing cup comprising means forming an elongated generally cylindrical cup having imperforate top and bottom portions and a plurality of dispensing ports circumferentially arranged around an intermediate portion thereof, said cup forming means having an integral skirt portion extending downwardly from said top portion outboard of said ports for diverting bleach dispensed through said ports toward said bottom portion, and a funnel having a generally cylindrical upper portion sealingly nested in said top portion of said cup and an imperforate conical portion extending downwardly into said cup from a level above said ports to a level below said ports for diverting bleach from said ports during the filling of said cup, said conical portion having a depending finger adapted for indicating predetermined different amounts of bleach at the bottom and top thereof 7. For use in a vertically reciprocable device, a dispensing cup for bleach or the like comprising means forming a cup having imperforate top and bottom portions and a dispensing port in an intermediate portion thereof, said cup forming means having a skirt portion extending downwardly from said top portion outboard of said port for diverting bleach dispensed through said port toward said bottom portion, and means having an upper portion in said top portion of said cup for receiving said bleach or the like and an imperforate tapered portion extending downwardly into said cup from a level above said port to a level below said port for diverting said bleach or the like from said port during the filling of said cup.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,132,500 5/1964 Bullock 68-17 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

7. FOR USE IN A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE DEVICE, A DISPENSING CUP FOR BLEACH OR THE LIKE COMPRISING MEANS FORMING A CUP HAVING IMPERFORATE TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS AND A DISPENSING PORT IN AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF, SAID CUP FORMING MEANS HAVING A SKIRT PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP PORTION OUTBOARD OF SAID PORT FOR DIVERTING BLEACH DISPENSED THROUGH SAID PORT TOWARD SAID BOTTOM PORTION, AND MEANS HAVING AN UPPER PORTION IN SAID TOP PORTION OF SAID CUP FOR RECEIVING SAID BLEACH OR THE LIKE AND AN IMPERFORATE TAPERED PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID CUP FROM A LEVEL ABOVE SAID PORT TO A LEVEL BELOW SAID PORT FOR DIVERTING SAID BLEACH OR THE LIKE FROM SAID PORT DURING THE FILLING OF SAID CUP. 